


One That We Miss

by Moriavis



Series: Finding ways to come together [12]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry's family is the best, Birthday, Established Relationship, Len is a terrible boyfriend sometimes, M/M, Oliver is suspicious as usual, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 22:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6878152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moriavis/pseuds/Moriavis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry's family was great about birthday celebrations, but he still missed Len when he was gone. Come on, it was Barry's birthday. The least Len could do was call.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One That We Miss

**Author's Note:**

> Thans to saekwha for the beta, as always.
> 
> This story was hard to write for some reason, hence the lateness.
> 
> Also, the internet shows three different birthdays for Barry Allen. I never go by the DC 1970s calendars when there's an actual birthday date involved, and May 13th is Barry's birthday in the new 52. I'M JUST GOING WITH IT.
> 
> Lastly, the title is a lyric from the song 'Many Happy Returns'. That song totally fit better than I expected.

~*~

Barry yawned and scratched his scalp as he ambled down the stairs for some coffee. He smelled bacon and french toast in the air, and he couldn't help his smile as he took the last couple of steps a little faster.

Iris was setting the table, and she looked up with a smile when she heard Barry on the stairs. "Morning!" She set down her handful of forks to hug Barry, and he hugged her back, just as tight. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks, Iris." He pressed a kiss to her cheek and then pulled away, peeking into the kitchen to wave at Joe. "Morning, Joe."

Joe motioned with his spatula before he put another slice of french toast on the already stacked platter. "Morning, Barr. Happy birthday." He jerked his head toward the plate. "Wanna help us with that?"

"You bet." He looked around for Wally, but he wasn't downstairs yet, so Barry used his speed to finish setting the table and put the food in the center, his stomach already growling in anticipation.

"Wally!" Joe called up the stairs. "Get your butt down here if you want breakfast!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Geez, what's the rush?" Wally thumped down the stairs, arching his eyebrow when he saw Barry, already seated at the table and halfway into his first slice of french toast.

"The rush is that it's Barry's birthday, which means we won't yell at him if he eats everything before you get some," Iris teased, setting her hand on Barry's shoulder and squeezing before she went to the other side of the table to take her seat.

"Wait, it's what?" Wally froze in place, and Barry almost laughed at the deer in the headlights look on Wally's face. "I—uh. I didn't get you anything."

"It's cool, dude," Barry said, and speared a second piece of french toast. "It's not like I really need anything."

Wally gave Barry a weird look, and Barry grinned, taking his third piece of french toast and a couple of strips of bacon. "Okay, then. Guess I'm off the hook." He took his seat and started making inroads on breakfast.

"Cisco and Caitlin have a surprise party planned for tonight at STAR Labs," Joe said, and shook his head when Iris groaned.

"Dad, I think you missed the whole point of 'surprise party,'" she said, but Joe shook his head again.

"I still remember the surprise party we tried to throw for you when you were thirteen," Joe told Barry. "Never making that mistake again."

"That sounds like a story," Wally said, fork paused halfway to his mouth as he looked between Barry and Joe.

Barry flushed and rubbed his neck. It wasn't exactly his proudest moment. "It's a non-story. I may have gone up to my room and played with my chemistry set instead of hanging out with a bunch of kids I didn't really like."

Wally snorted. "Nerd." Barry couldn't really deny that either.

They finished breakfast, and Barry snuck a glance at his phone. He didn't have any texts, and a small lump of vague disappointment sat heavy in his stomach. Still, it was pretty early, and it wasn't like Barry actually told Len when his birthday was. He just kind of assumed Len knew, which...wasn't exactly the smartest assumption Barry had ever made.

Barry said his goodbyes and then headed to the station, zipping in just under the wire to grab his cases for the day. It occupied him for a while, but he was antsy, jiggling his leg as he read the preliminary reports, spoiling two samples because he couldn't keep his speed consistent. He sighed wistfully and took his phone out of his pocket. It hadn't buzzed, hadn't done anything besides sit uselessly in his pocket, and he set it face down on the table before he turned his attention to his work again. 

He sighed, letting his head loll back against his chair as he stared up at the ceiling, and then rubbed his eyes with his palms, shaking his head to get himself back on track. He found himself glancing at his phone after he completed each page of analysis data, and he scowled as if the phone were personally offending him. In a way, it was. Barry let the centrifuge actually do its job so he'd have an excuse to scroll through his messages, and he deleted fourteen petition emails before he put it back on the table again. His sigh, when the centrifuge finished, was both relieved and annoyed, and he took samples from the separated substances and labeled them for further investigation. 

When his phone finally pinged, Barry was in the middle of taking his delicate samples back to refrigerated storage, and he tried to ignore it, focusing on maintaining a slow, measured step, since using his speed would only ruin his hard work. When the samples were stowed carefully in the small fridge to keep them viable, he sped back to his desk, grabbing his phone and hoping it wasn't some stupid email notification.

 _Happy birthday, sweetcheeks!_ Lisa. It was official. Len didn't have any excuses. Barry sent a quick _Thanks_ back, and then put his phone down on his desk for the third time so he could concentrate on work. 

Barry lasted for another two pages of his report, and then his phone buzzed again. He hadn't even realized he'd grabbed it until it was already in his hand, but it turned out the text was from Cisco. Barry deflated.

_Yo, dude, come to the lab when you get off work!_

_Got it. Be there soon, almost done._

Barry cleaned up his lab space, making sure the centrifuge was refrigerated properly and that his remaining test tubes were cleaned, and then he glanced at his phone again, tapping his fingers against the desk as he frowned. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and sped over to STAR Labs, stopping a block away and walking the rest of the distance, just in case Wally was there at his 'surprise' party.

The cortex was dark when he stepped inside, and even if Barry hadn't had an idea of what was about to happen, the game was kind of given away when he heard Caitlin stifling a giggle. He was a good sport, though, so he took another step into the dark room. "Guys? What's up? Are you still here?"

"Surprise!" The lights came on, and Barry squinted as his friends and family leapt out from behind the desks.

"Wow," Barry deadpanned. "What a surprise."

Cisco folded his arms over his chest. "Joe told you."

"Yeah. Joe told me." Barry grinned and pulled Cisco into a hug, turning to give Caitlin a squeeze as well. "But this is really awesome. Thanks, guys."

"Does this mean we can stop hiding now?" Barry spun around, peering into one of the other darkened rooms, his smile widening when Felicity popped out and waved, followed by Oliver.

"Oh my god, no one told me _you_ were here!"

Joe shrugged and smiled at Barry. He was a little smug, but he deserved it. "I didn't want to spoil all the surprises."

Felicity hugged Barry tight enough that he couldn't breathe for a second, and he laughed in complete delight when she released him. "It's so good to see you."

"Same," Oliver said, and there was a moment's hesitation before he stepped into Barry's waiting arms and gave him a friendly hug.

"You two came all the way over here just for my surprise party?" Barry smiled, looking back and forth between Felicity and Oliver. "That's great."

Felicity shrugged. "You've seen the kinds of parties Oliver gets to, this is hardly anything. Not that you're hardly anything, I mean. Oliver cares about you a lot. We all do." Oliver cleared his throat, and Felicity turned pink. "Are you thirsty? I'm thirsty." Felicity rushed off to the punch bowl, and Barry smiled again, warm and fond.

"Is everything all right?" Oliver asked. Even though he was still wearing a faint smile, his eyes were dark and assessing. "It's been a rough year."

"For both of us," Barry agreed. "Things have been looking up, though. Got a brother, for one." Oliver arched his eyebrow and looked over at Wally, who was standing next to Jesse and saying something to her that made her smile. "He doesn't know anything about the Flash stuff. He probably thinks it's weird that we're having a birthday party in a lab."

"It's definitely weird, Barry." Barry wasn't sure if Oliver was teasing or not, his voice calm and smooth. It wasn't until Barry looked more closely that he could see the smile tugging at the corner of Oliver's mouth.

"You're weird," Barry muttered. It wasn't exactly his best comeback, so he ducked his head, taking a second to check his phone again. There wasn't a message. Still.

"Why are you staring at your phone?" Cisco threw his arm around Barry's shoulders. "Practically everyone you know is here." He winced, his shoulders hunching defensively. "Ooh, were you waiting on a call from Patty? That's rough, dude."

Barry shook his head. "Not Patty. We haven't talked since she left."

Cisco loosened up in relief, his smile coming back, immediate and bright. "I'm going to celebrate getting my foot out of my mouth by checking on the booze." He lowered his voice. "Caitlin said she may have another moonshine prototype for you to try later, if you're up for it."

Barry nodded. "Sounds good. After Wally and Joe leave?"

"You got it," Cisco agreed. Jesse waved at Cisco to get his attention, and he headed over to her, leaving Barry and Oliver alone. Barry's phone buzzed, and he looked at it again, striving for a casual indifference that he was sure didn't fool Oliver at all.

_STAR Labs? ETA two mins_

Barry fought to keep his smile off his face as he slid his phone back into his pocket. "I—uh. Have to go to the bathroom. Be right back." Barry was out of the room before Oliver could say anything, and once he was out of sight, he used his speed to flash to the entrance of the lab, looking around eagerly.

Barry jumped when Len appeared from the shadows like magic and took hold of his arm, drawing him against the building and away from the cameras. "I thought you might've forgotten," Barry said, feeling strangely shy as he curled his arms around Len's waist.

Len opened his mouth and sighed, tilting his head and kissing Barry gently. "I did," he confessed.

Barry frowned and pulled back far enough to give Len a searching look. "But you're here now, so—" He paused, cataloging the length of Len's hair (still short, but longer than the last time they'd seen each other) and Len's strangely open and vaguely guilty expression. He dropped his arms and took a step away. "When are you from?"

Len smiled, just a tiny quirk at the corner of his mouth. "Let's say that it's far enough that I'm definitely in trouble."

Barry tried to find it annoying, how Len just admitted to it, but he was really too happy to see Len at all. Damn him and his stupid face and that stupid little smile that Barry liked so much. "You could've kept that to yourself. I wouldn't have known."

"Yeah, but you're kind of rubbing off on me, Red." Len slipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew something that was about the size of his palm. "But I saw this and thought of you."

Barry accepted it, the stone heavy in his hand, and held it toward the light so he could get a better look. "It's a fossil!"

Len hummed, curling a hand around Barry's waist and propping his chin on Barry's shoulder. "Jawbone of a leptoceratopsid."

Barry laughed. "It makes me all warm and tingly when you talk dinosaur to me."

"I know." Len buried his face against the juncture of Barry's neck and shoulder, sighing again. It made Barry shiver pleasantly. "I've got to go. The team's expecting me."

"Len, are you on a mission right now?" Barry turned in Len's arms, and his disapproving frown was immediately ruined when Len kissed him again.

"Don't let me off the hook when you see me again," Len whispered against Barry's mouth. "You'll get two presents that way."

"Are you telling me to con you?" Len shrugged, and Barry laughed again. "Of course you are."

There was the tinny sound of someone speaking on the radio, and Len raised a hand to his ear. "I'm almost in position. Give me a few minutes."

"Go," Barry said, his own smile turning soft and affectionate. "Be a hero."

"I'm not a hero." Len's eyes settled on Barry, intense and unblinking. "I just have a good influence."

Barry pulled Len in for another kiss. "Thanks for coming to see me. Even if it was late."

"You're welcome," Len said, and then he stepped back, looking at Barry as if he were trying to memorize him before he turned around and walked away. Barry wondered what Len's mission was but didn't want to waste any more of Len's time by asking. 

Barry went back inside, letting the door fall shut behind him, but was brought up short by Oliver, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "Oh! Uh, hi. What're you doing out here?"

"Barry." Barry didn't know how the hell Oliver could inject so much disapproval into two syllables. "You got a text and then ran for the 'bathroom.' You weren't subtle."

"Got it. Let's go back to the party."

"Not so fast." Oliver held out a hand, and Barry stopped, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. "Who else knows about you and Cold?"

"His name's Len," Barry corrected. "And no one knows. Not yet. We're trying to figure out what we're doing before we tell anyone."

"I don't need to tell you how dangerous it is to date supervillains—"

"And you don't really have the moral high ground here, Ollie. Cold isn't hurting anyone, and it's not anyone's business what I do with my life, as long as no one's in danger." Barry forced himself to relax, and he reached out, squeezing Oliver's arm. "I know you're just looking out for me. I can handle this."

Oliver stared at Barry, long and hard, and then shook his head. "I'll leave you alone, but I will shoot him if he shows up in Star City."

Barry laughed. "He hates Star. Central City's where it's at." Oliver leveled Barry with another unamused look, but Barry was full of relief, happiness fizzing in his chest. "We have a party in progress. No brooding allowed."

"You're not funny." Oliver led the way back to the cortex, and now that Barry had seen Len, finally, it was easier to return Joe's smile, to hug Felicity, to kick Wally's butt at video games, since Cisco had his game system set up.

"When were you going to tell me that you were friends with freaking Oliver Queen?" Wally asked, and Barry shrugged, his smile embarrassed. He was saved from answering by Joe bringing a cake out from the kitchen—a chocolate and cream monstrosity topped with crumbled toffee. 

The singing started—Joe, Cisco, Iris sounding perfect, as usual, Caitlin warbling as Jesse struggled not to laugh. Even Harrison was singing, although he looked cranky and put upon, and Barry looked at everyone, faces illuminated by the candlelight of the twenty-seven candles on his cake, and was humbled by the love he had for everyone in that room.

"Don't forget to make a wish," Iris told him, and Barry nodded, closing his eyes. 

Birthday wishes were just a superstition—he'd spent far too many birthdays wishing for his mother to come back to think otherwise—but it never hurt to think positively.

_I wish that I could always be as happy as I am right now._

Barry opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and blew the candles out.

~*~

**Author's Note:**

> Also, I'd actually planned Len's gift to be a fossil, even before 'The Runaway Dinosaur' aired. Every kid is a dino kid at heart. ;)


End file.
